Blazing Trails

When this journey began, I never thought this shy farm girl from Painted Post, NY would have such a successful career in the turf industry, let alone be someone others looked to as a,” Trailblazer” in the industry. It has been 20 years since I began a career that I am passionate about. As a wife and mother of three, and a US Army veteran, I wanted to find a job that got me out of the house doing something I loved. Our family had relocated to Fort Dix, NJ in 2000 for my husband’s job and I opened an Army Certified Home Daycare out of necessity. I loved the opportunity to be at home with our children, but the financial strain was difficult. Then a new door opened. My neighbor and true mentor, Dan Mears, just happened to be the Assistant Superintendent at Fountain Green Golf Course on Fort Dix. I asked if there were any jobs available, and the rest is history. I attended the Rutgers Golf Turf Management Program during the winters of 2005-2006 using the GI Bill I had received when I enlisted in the Army from 19921996. Graduating with high honors from a class of fifty-two, being the only female in the class was a major accomplishment. For years I worked as an Assistant at two different public courses- Indian Springs Country Club, Marlton, NJ and Makefield Highlands Golf Club in Yardley, PA. Both of which are management company operated courses. I often attending events as the only female in the room, I even wondered, as many women in this industry did, were there even others like me out there? As time went on, there were others like me.

In March of 2016, I got my first opportunity to become the Superintendent at Makefield Highlands Golf Club. It was then that Cece Peabody, the Executive Director for GCSANJ at the time, encouraged me to get involved as a Grassroots Ambassador for GCSAA. That was the beginning of my journey where I realized I could have an influence. I was able to meet new people from around the country advocating for the industry I love. Speaking with lawmakers at National Golf Day in Washington, DC and sharing our stories about being true stewards for the environment. It was that involvement and recognition by Rutgers with the 2018 Professional Golf Turf Management School Award for Professional Excellence and a video about “Career Changers- Second Acts “, that brought about my interaction on Twitter. That truly is when others noticed who I was and my passion to share my experience in the industry. Throughout the past five years I have gained more followers as I continue to use social media to show the highs and lows of a career in the turf industry. Seeing others’ reactions and kindness to the posts has played a positive role in many decisions

I have made. In October of 2019 I took an opportunity to manage a private golf course at Westlake Golf and Country Club in Jackson, NJ with Linx Golf Management. This gave me another experience with a management company that I have genuinely enjoyed. The move opened doors to great opportunities to volunteer at the national level. During the 2022 US Woman’s Open at Pine Needle, I was able to use twitter again to share the opportunity a career in turf can bring. Sharing that event with a group of women, many I had met for the first time as we arrived again showed how much of an impact my journey had on others as well-, they became my sisters, sharing their darkest experiences and the joys. I never thought of myself as a trailblazer before that day.

After that week at Pine Needle, I learned they believed in me, even more than I believed in myself. The week after the Women’s Open, I received a call that would once again change my life and my journey. After lengthy discussions with the women at the event, they had come to me and asked if I would be the very first woman to run for the GCSAA National Board. Talk about blazing a trail. I was entering a zone I had never believed I would find myself in. I have been a member of the GCSANJ board for several years, but not at the executive level until this year where I am currently the Treasurer. National Board service is typically a path that takes a few years to attain, so although disappointed that I did not make it in 2022, I will not give up on that aspiration. I will continue to be, as others say, a trailblazer making the path better for those to come. I have at this time made my dedication to serving the GCSANJ and gaining more experience by holding all the executive chairs before I once again set my sights on blazing the ultimate trail to the National Level.